Epsilon caprolactone and/or certain hydrates and/or certain esters thereof are valuable intermediates which are useful, for example, in the production of epsilon caprolactam and polyesters. The processes currently used to produce epsilon caprolactone and/or hydrates and/or esters thereof have various disadvantages. For example, the starting materials used to produce epsilon caprolactone and/or hydrates and/or esters thereof are relatively expensive. Accordingly, it would be desirable to produce epsilon caprolactone and/or hydrates and/or esters thereof from relatively inexpensive starting materials and by a process which does not have the disadvantages of prior art processes.